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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bass — the fish
  4. club — for golf
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — a publisher
  13. clip — a video
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. press — to push
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. clip — to cut
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chair — a leader
  20. club — for dancing
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. press — newspapers
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com